Abstract [en]

When a new product is launched, product defects in various processes and process steps willprobably appear that were not previously known or detected. The purpose of this study is to create aworking model for how middle-sized companies should manage to handle defects in quality thatwill appear in manufacturing productions. To be able to create a realistic model, this thesis will bebased on a case study of a manufacturing company by the name of AQ ParkoPrint AB, located in Gävle, Sweden.

The following research questions are answered in order to support the main purpose:

• What defects in quality occur most often in middle-sized manufacturing companies?

• How can these defects in quality be managed, and if possible, be reduced?

The methods used in this study are interviews and observations. Five interviews and twoobservations were performed on AQ ParkoPrint AB. The working model that was created wasnamed “Five-step-model” and involves the process of managing defects in quality divided into fivesteps: document, investigate, illustrate, propose action and implement. The “Five-step model” isdesigned for middle-sized manufacturing companies focused on creating a way to worksystematically with how to managing quality defects and how to reduce them if possible. The stepsin this model are flexible because every single company should be able to customize each step tosuit their company needs, and only use the “Five-step model” that is created in this study as thebasic structure of the quality work. The case study shows that the suppliers are the majorcontributors of causing quality defects. Middle-sized companies can use the developed five stepmodel to handle and reduce their quality defects. The “Five-step model” itself requires no expensivetools. It is the extent of the work in every specific step that determines the costs.This study also presents some question formulations that companies can use to reduce their qualitydefects that can be traced back to the subcontractors.